“Search analysis is divided into “long clicks” and “short clicks”. A long click represents a satisfied customer. A user performs a search, clicks through on a result and remains on that site for a long time. They don’t come back to the result set immediately to click on another result or to refine their query. A short click is the opposite of a long click. It occurs when a user performs a search, clicks through on a result and quickly comes back to the result set to click on an alternative result. It represents a minor failure.”
Singhal, Amit. January 2013. Google and the Future of Search. The Guardian.
“Search is a multi-site experience.
This is what search marketers must realize. You will get credit for a long click if you’re part of the long click. If you ensure that the user doesn’t return to search results, even by sending them to another site, then you’re going to be rewarded.
Stop thinking about optimizing your page and think about optimizing the search experience instead…
…it’s easy to get tunnel vision about your own site and forget [about] the search experience. It’s a bit presumptuous to think that your resource is the only resource, so providing access to other content is a great way to fulfill query intent and match the reality of multi-site search experience.”
Kohn, AJ. April 2013. Time To Long Click. Blind Five Year Old.